Haunted
by Kura and Hana
Summary: When Halloween plans go awry, the Host Club, Alyx, and Liza find themselves being hunted by a spectral lunatic, hell bent on butchering them. Will they be able to escape this "adventure" alive? And what hidden feelings will come to the surface? HikaruxOC


Kura: Hey ya'll, how ya doin'? I know I should be working on Muto right now, but I had the _weirdest_ dream. That's normal for me, except that this one had real (well _technically_ they're fictional) people. So I just couldn't resist typing it up. Most of this happened in the dream, but some of it I made up to fill in the parts I couldn't remember and/or to make the parts I _do_ remember make sense. You'd be surprised how nonsensical most of my dreams are. I mean, in this one Kyouya and Mori did this weird fusion thing at some point (I didn't see it) and became the same person. It was weird. Either Kyouya got uber strong or Mori got waaaaaaay smarter and sneakier. Anyway I'll shut up now and let ya'll read the darn thing already.

Chibi Alyx: Aren't you forgetting something?

Kura: Oh yeah! How could I forget?! I'm dedicating this oneshot to our faithful editor (who we always forget to send stuff to so she can fix it), **MrsPattinsonDiggoryCullen**! Happy birthday! There's quite a bit of HikaruAlyx fluff throughout this, despite the creepy stuff. Enjoy!

* * *

Haunted

_How did this happen? How did it come to this?_ Alyx wondered, gazing down at the boy next to her. He was dozing lightly. She sighed and smiled softly. _He almost looks innocent when he's asleep._ Alyx looked away from the boy and out the window at the slowly setting sun. It made her remember the last time she'd seen the sunset. At that time, though, it had been eerie, the color of blood.

* * *

"Hikaru, I really don't think this is a good idea," Alyx said, staring up at the creepy old mansion before them.

"Whaaaaat?" Hikaru asked, staring at the brunette in shock, "Don't tell me you're _scared_! Come on! Where's your sense of adventure?"

"Where's your _brain_?! This is_ illegal_, or didn't you know?" she snapped back.

"Will you two shut up already?" Liza grumbled, badly wanting to get the stupid expedition over with.

It was Halloween, and Hikaru had taken the liberty of mentioning a creepy, old, haunted house, a few towns away, to the overly zealous Host King. The twin had said that it would be a lot of fun, really creepy, and would give Alyx and Liza a good Halloween experience. He also may have mentioned that the girls would be eternally grateful to Tamaki for taking them there. Thus, the entire Host Club was standing in front of the old mansion, shivering, tired, and annoyed.

"Let's go!" Tamaki exclaimed excitedly, running up to the wrought-iron gates guarding the weed-infested front lawn. The overgrown flora surrounding the old paths had completely engulfed them. With a loud screech, the ancient gates swung open.

Alyx shrugged and plunged into the grass, desperately hoping there wasn't anything living in it. It wasn't that she wasn't _excited_ about the thriller adventure they were going on; it was just that she wasn't a big fan of possibly-real ghosts. Or so she told herself. Her hyperactive imagination wasn't helping either.

Hikaru fell into step next to Alyx, chatting animatedly about how cool it would be to explore the mansion, and how he hoped they'd find ghosts. The girl half-heartedly paid attention to her good friend. She was busy watching the shadows for movement, which she kept thinking she saw. Out of nowhere, something grabbed her foot, pulling her into the weeds. Alyx shrieked as she tumbled to the ground.

The boy next to her just laughed and helped her back up. The thing that had "grabbed" her was nothing more than a cobblestone that had been unearthed at some point in time (probably by vandals). Alyx glared at Hikaru and continued walking.

"Awww, is wittow Awyx embawwassed?" he cooed mockingly.

"Shut up," she growled, feeling her cheeks grow hot. She really hated it when he made fun of her.

"You're blushing!" he laughed.

"I am _not_! It's the sunset! It makes everything look red!" she protested.

"Hey, Lovebirds!" Kaoru called, "You're going the wrong way!"

"Huh?" the bickering couple asked, having not noticed that they were traveling away from the rest of the group. They quickly ran to catch up with the others, who were preparing to open the front doors. When they arrived, Alyx smacked the back of Kaoru's head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he cried.

"We're not lovebirds," she grumbled, looking away from Hikaru's brother, knowing he saw right through her façade.

"Whatever you say," he replied with a smirk, knowing she knew that he knew.

"Let's go!" Tamaki sang and pranced in, Haruhi in tow.

There was a grand staircase directly in front of them, and off to the left, a large sitting room with grime-covered stained glass windows. To their right was a large, open space with numerous doors and hallways that branched off to various other parts of the house.

"Where should we start?" Tamaki asked Haruhi, forgetting that the trip was meant to entertain the twins.

"Does it matter?" the girl asked apathetically.

Tamaki looked hurt, but was nevertheless undeterred. "I think we should go that way!" He gestured towards the sitting room.

"We should explore upstairs!" the Hitachiin twins chorused.

"What about those hallways over there?" Alyx thought aloud.

"We should stick together, to prevent people from getting lost," Kyouya said, not wanting to waste time finding anyone after Tamaki and the twins were satisfied.

Hunny and Mori were wandering towards the stairs, so – with four people voting to go up and the others not particularly caring – they began their journey. They didn't find anything particularly interesting until they came upon a staircase in the back of the second floor. It was hidden behind a thick, wood door.

"I wonder where this goes," Alyx murmured, looking up at the darkness enshrouding the flights of stairs above.

"Curious?" Hikaru teased.

Alyx nodded, smiling brightly. Hikaru's cheeks flushed a bit, but she didn't see it. She was too preoccupied with the mystery stairs.

"Why would they randomly have a staircase here?" she wondered, "and an iron one no less. I thought they only used wood staircases when this thing was built."

"Let's find out where it goes," Hikaru grinned, pushing her through the door and onto the stairwell.

"Don't _do_ that!" Alyx hissed.

He laughed and beckoned for the others to come over. He told them what they were doing, and the others followed along excitedly. Kyouya looked bored, but didn't say anything. He was considering buying the place and using it as a thrill attraction for the designators. It didn't seem to be dangerous, just mysterious and a tad on the creepy side.

Hunny talked to Mori excitedly as they began to ascend the stairs. It had been decided by Liza and Alyx that they should go first since they were trained to "not die," as Alyx put it. In other words, if they met a zombie, Mori and Hunny could pulverize it while the girls hid behind them.

"Do you think Hunny can kill ghosts?" Liza asked nervously. She _hated_ haunted houses.

"Nah, they're already dead," Alyx muttered, "But I bet he'll lull them into a false sense of security with his cuteness, and then Mori can scare them off with his samurai-tastic-ness."

Liza laughed along with the others. Alyx's heart was racing beneath the mask of lightheartedness. In reality, she was terrified. Their footfalls made the metal stairs clang loudly, and the sound echoed relentlessly off the walls and stairs. If there _were_ any ghosts around, they'd have no trouble finding the lively bunch. Suddenly, another sound reached the brunette's ears.

"What's that sound?" Alyx gasped, letting her mask slip a bit to reveal the fear teeming beneath it.

"It's called an echo, Alyx," Hikaru spoke to her as though she were a child, "These stairs make a lot of noise when we walk on them, and th-"

"Not _that_, you idiot!" she growled. "Everyone stop!"

Her voice reverberated eerily throughout the area, along with the final footsteps of the teens. The girl held her breath, praying she'd imagined the sound. It was all for naught. A faint tinkling sound reached the ears of her peers.

"What's that sound?" Tamaki repeated Alyx's earlier question.

"It's the same one I heard," the girl said.

"Let's go find out what it is!" Hikaru exclaimed.

"I-I'd rather not," Alyx protested.

Liza agreed wholeheartedly, "I've got a really bad feeling about this!"

"Come on!" Kaoru urged, "It'll be fun."

She shook her head, but couldn't refuse his pleading and went along with it. The others followed suit, some more willing than others. They headed up a few more flights of stairs, and the sound got louder and louder until it felt as though the group was right on top of whatever was making it.

"It's coming from behind this door," Haruhi whispered.

"Okay, I say we open it on the count of three," Tamaki said, "One…two…"

Everyone in the group, minus Mori and Kyouya, gulped and stared at the door with anticipation.

"Three!"

Haruhi shoved the door open and jumped back. Everyone glanced into the dark hallway beyond the door. There was nothing there but more doors. Slowly, Hikaru crept in, pulling Alyx with him. Said girl pressed herself against the wall and took a steadying breath. She slunk along it, refusing to step into the center of the hallway. The others came in and Hikaru eventually convinced her to walk with the rest of the group (he told her how cute she was when she was scared and she immediately marched to the center of the hallway).

Alyx couldn't help but glance at the gaping, dark abyss that lay behind each of the few open doors. Every time she glanced at one of them, she thought she saw something move. Unconsciously, she inched closer toward Hikaru, only to push herself away when one of them noticed.

"Everybody, stop!" Liza hissed in alarm.

They all followed her command, but were curious as to why they were stopping.

"Do you hear that?" she asked.

"Hear what?" Alyx asked, slightly irritated that people kept copying her question.

"Exactly! What happened to the sound?" Liza asked.

The Host Club froze and looked around wildly. Why had the mysterious sound ceased? Did that mean someone else was in the house with them? What if it was a psychotic murderer?! As Alyx's thoughts went down that terrifying path, she gripped Hikaru's hand. The boy didn't say anything, seeing the look on her face.

"_Did you hear that, Annabelle?" _a creepy, somewhat-deranged voice said from somewhere to the right of the group, _"There are intruders here. Yes, many of them. I can hear their breathing. Should I kill them? Yes, yes, of _course_ I will__,__ Annabelle."_

The tinkling noise began again. Instinctively, the group backed against the wall opposite of where the voice was emanating from.

_WE NEED TO GET OUT OF HERE!!!_ Alyx thought frantically, but her body wouldn't move.

Something shifted in the shadows. Alyx knew she wasn't imagining it this time. As the thing came closer it took on the figure of an old man. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was pale as death. His bony fingers clutched a small, caramel-colored teddy bear. Around its neck was a sky blue ribbon with a tiny silver bell. Every time the specter took a step, the little bell jingled.

"_My, my, what lovely guests we have here, don't we__,__ Annabelle?" _the man stroked the bear affectionately. _"They should make such lovely company for you."_

As he spoke, he pulled out a long, well-used butcher knife. The blade was chipped, and had a faint, dark red tint to it, visible even in the dim light. Alyx gasped, frightened, and pressed herself closer to the wall. Something pushed into her back uncomfortably. It felt like…

_A doorknob!! _Alyx reached behind her back and twisted the knob. She grabbed Hikaru's and whispered for him to do the same to Kaoru, and tell him to do it to Liza and so on. Once everyone in the club had a firm grip on each other's hands, Alyx wrenched the door open and dashed through it, jerking Hikaru along with her. The others stumbled a bit but kept running.

They raced to the other end of the room, where another door loomed out of the darkness. When they got there, though, they found it was locked. Mori made quick work of it, and they went on. They could still hear the eerie voice of the old man, following them wherever they went.

"_My, my, Annabelle, what lively visitors we have. Yes, yes, don't worry, my love, I'll find them. I know this house well. They'll not escape. Oh look, Annabelle! They're already so lost!"_

Alyx shook her head and rushed on through room after room. The human chain had broken and everyone was running to the best of their ability.

"Haruhi! Where's Haruhi?!" Tamaki panicked.

"I'm _gasp_ right_ pant _here," Haruhi said, trying to catch her breath, "I can't run, remember?"

Mori doubled back and scooped her up, before the group took off again. Suddenly, they found themselves in a hallway identical to the one they'd left the old man in.

"N-no! No! Did we go in a circle?!" Liza cried, trying to find something—anything—different about this hallway.

"It doesn't matter!" Kaoru exclaimed, "We have to keep going!"

Mori, despite carrying Haruhi, was the first to reach the door at the end of the hallway. He wrenched it open to reveal the iron stairs. Without missing a step, everyone rushed through the doors and down, down, down the never-ending staircase.

"Wha-what's g-go-going on?" Alyx panted as she continued running, "Th-there's no…no w-way we went u-up this many st-stairs!"

"Th-this place is h-haunted!" Liza replied, only in slightly better shape than her sister, "Ph-physics d-don't ap-ply!"

"I hate ghosts!" Alyx cried as she heard the bell again, "He's coming!"

Mori barreled through the next door he found. The others followed him, tired from the death-race they'd just run. They continued running down the hall until the bell jingled loudly all around them. Acting on instincts, Mori hid them in the nearest room and told them all to be quiet. Alyx clung to Hikaru, Liza to Kaoru, and Haruhi to Tamaki. Kyouya and the others were nearby. Mori looked worried, and Hunny and Kyouya had a mixed expression of worry and fear. The same couldn't be said for the other six, who were staring at the door, wide-eyed with terror.

"_Which one? Which one?" _the old man sang, ending the tune with a maniacal cackle, _"Where do you think our intrusive guests went, Annabelle-dearest?"_

"I _really _hate that stupid bear," Hikaru muttered so only Alyx could hear.

She didn't respond other than to move even closer to him. Never once did her eyes leave the door.

"_Ah, here they are. We've found them, my sweet!"_ he crowed happily.

"Move!" Kyouya hissed, jostling everyone into action.

They hurried into the room connected to the one they were just in. What it contained made them wish they hadn't. Dismembered bodies lay all around the room in various positions. It looked as though they'd died there. Alyx swallowed the bile rising in her throat and tried not to vomit. The gruesome sight was only made worse by the horrid stench. She shuddered and closed her eyes. She pressed her face into Hikaru's back and willed it all to go away.

Out of nowhere, she was shoved over to an old, cobweb-covered writing desk. She whirled around, expecting to find the crazed, old, specter, but instead saw Hikaru. He told her to hide, and she saw the others doing the same.

_We're trapped_, she realized, _trapped like rats._

Mechanically, Alyx vaulted over the desk and hid inside of it, where a chair should have been. Her arm brushed something. Looking down at it, she let out a strangled cry. It was the withered head of some unfortunate girl who'd wandered into the mansion. Her eyes were rotted and had sunk into their sockets, and much of her skin was gone, revealing the remaining muscle and bone. Alyx shook when she noticed that the bodiless head's long, brown hair was styled the exact same way as hers.

As she was just about to kick the head away, she heard quiet footsteps nearby. The person who was walking was mumbling to himself, and every time he stepped, a small silver bell would ring. Alyx bit her lip and tried desperately to slow her nearly hysterical breathing. He was _right _there. And then he halted.

For a minute, Alyx was sure that her heart had stopped beating. She swallowed and squeezed her eyes shut. Even though she knew he couldn't do anything, she wished Hikaru were there. At least then she wouldn't have to die alone.

"_What do we have here, I wonder?"_ the man asked, kneeling down by the desk.

His skeletal hand reached under it and grabbed the head. When he felt the cold rotting flesh, he put it back.

"_No need to disturb her rest,"_ he said, stroking Alyx's hair instead of the heads.

The brunette cringed, and froze when the man stopped moving his hand.

"_Her hair feels warm, doesn't it, Annabelle?"_ he said, continuing to run his fingers through Alyx's hair, _"Our friends must have been here. In fact, I'll bet they're close by. Is it all right if I leave you here to watch for them, dear?"_

For a minute, Alyx thought she heard a childlike voice reply, but she brushed it off as her imagination. She heard a light thud as man put the bear down and walked out. When his footsteps faded, she practically threw herself out from under the desk. She was shaking so badly that she needed Hikaru to help her up.

He pulled her into a tight hug, whispering, "Thank God! I thought for sure he'd found you!"

She hugged him back, tears streaming down her face. They had to be forced apart by Kaoru and Liza and ordered to move out by Kyouya. At the last minute, Hikaru grabbed the teddy bear, known as Annabelle, and rushed back to the others, who were standing near the door they'd entered through. They were listening for the old man.

"We need to get out of here," Hikaru said quietly, "I'm going to call for a helicopter."

"Why a helicopter?" Alyx couldn't help but ask.

"It's easy to land and faster than a car," he replied, already dialing the number.

The conversation was short. Hikaru snapped the phone shut and informed the others that it would be there shortly. They nodded, but no one moved a muscle. Finally, Hikaru dredged up the courage to peek out the door. Mori was too busy with Hunny at the time to be the brave one.

"I vote Hikaru goes first," Alyx made an attempt at a joke.

"Thanks," he replied sardonically.

"Love you," she smiled innocently, trying to get back on his good side. She blushed when she realized the significance of her words. "Erm...in a completely brotherly, friendly, absolutely-not-romantic-at-ALL-way," she sputtered.

"Hurry up," he whispered and slipped out the door, Alyx at his heels.

They crept through another door across the hall, completely unaware of the fact that their friends went another direction.

"I see a light," Alyx whispered to Hikaru.

"Yeah, I see it too," he said softly and pushed her behind him, "It might be him. We gotta be careful."

Alyx nodded, though he couldn't see it. The two snuck over to the sliver of light coming from under yet another door. Hikaru opened it a crack and glanced through. A large chandelier was the source of the light. He didn't bother questioning how it had been lit, and was just thankful that it was there.

"The coast is clear," he said after swallowing to help his dry throat, "Let's go."

Hikaru took Alyx's hand and led her out into the Juliet balcony on the other side of the door.

"Or not," he muttered looking around for somewhere else they could go.

"Hikaru," Alyx whimpered, "Where are the others?"

"Huh?" the boy spun around, only just becoming aware of their absence. He swore, "We can't go back to find them. We have to get out and get the local police."

Biting her lip, Alyx grudgingly agreed. She didn't like the idea of leaving her sister in such a place, but as long as she was with Kaoru, she'd be okay. Hikaru led her back into the other room and over to another, smaller ray of light. With a great heave, he managed to open the heavy door. When they went through it, they found themselves on a spiraling wooden staircase. It was covered with a plush, wine-colored carpet that silenced their footsteps and they went down.

"Hikaru," Alyx gasped, "He's coming for us. I can hear the bell! I think he's been following us this whole time!"

"No he's not," he replied, showing Alyx the stuffed toy.

"You idiot!" she shrieked, "Why did you take that?! Now he'll kill us for sure!"

"Shhhh! He'll find us!" Hikaru warned.

"We're gonna die," Alyx moaned and continued down the stairs.

Hikaru followed her silently, on the lookout for the homicidal maniac that he knew could be lurking behind any corner. However, he found himself instead facing Alyx's wrath. She swatted the bear out of his hands and glared.

"He's going to come looking for that, that _thing_, and I don't want to be the one he catches with it!" she hissed, grabbing his hand, "Now come on!"

The pair went down the stairs as quickly as they could and were met with a familiar sight. Just ahead of them was a grime-covered stained glass window. With that came the front door. Alyx raced ahead, nearly tripping many times, and jerked the front door open. Hikaru wasn't far behind.

"The helicopter!" Alyx cried, running to the sleek, black, machine parked on the front lawn. She didn't know how it had gotten there, and she didn't care.

"Alyx, wait!" Hikaru yelled, "The driver's side door is open!" The boy looked cautiously into the helicopter, "It's empty!"

"Wh-what?!" Alyx yelped.

"That old lunatic has been here!" he growled, glaring at the light splatter of blood on the seat, "He's anymore, though. Get in!"

Alyx nodded and pulled open the passenger door. She jumped in and buckled her seatbelt as the helicopter roared to life. It wasn't until they were soaring above the mansion that a thought occurred to her…_When did Hikaru learn how to fly a helicopter?! _Her situation got a bit uncomfortable, since her companion _really _shouldn't know how to pilot a chopper, but at least she was more relaxed now that they were out of the house. Alas, the moment didn't last.

An ice cold, bony hand latched onto her hair with an iron grip. She screamed and struggled to get away, only to fail miserably. Her eyes widened when she saw the murderous specter's reflection in the windshield. She screamed again, but this time it was because Hikaru had let go of the controls to get the man off her, and the helicopter was flying out of control. Suddenly, it dove down, causing the old man to fall back, jerking her hair painfully. Alyx yelped and struggled to escape. But the old man was fast, despite his appearance. He whipped out his knife and pressed it to her neck. Alyx choked and Hikaru froze on the spot.

"_Fly this thing or she dies," _the old man hissed.

For the third time that night, Alyx closed her eyes and prayed that it would all go away. The sharp blade at her throat made the reality of her situation impossible to ignore. As Hikaru regained control of the helicopter, the man relaxed his grip slightly on her hair. He began muttering loudly to himself about her pretty hair and what good company she'd make for his Annabelle. Alyx's lips trembled as she glanced over at Hikaru for help. He simply glared at the man behind her.

Hikaru couldn't stand seeing that man touch Alyx. It made his blood boil. He _hated_ that man for scaring her the way he did. Even more so, he hated himself for making her go and for being so helpless when she needed him. If he did anything stupid, she would die. His eyes widened when he saw Alyx looking at him, begging him for help. He turned away, knowing there was nothing he could do. And that was when he saw it! The man who had flown the helicopter over to the mansion hadn't gone down without a fight. A silver pistol gleamed in the moonlight. It had fallen on the dashboard above the control panel.

The boy glanced back over to the right to see Alyx crying quietly as the man went into gruesome detail about how he would go about killing her. It made Hikaru sick. Knowing Alyx could easily visualize everything he said made it worse. Slowly, he reached forward to grab the gun. The man didn't notice the motion.

"Hikaru," came Alyx's terrified whisper.

That did it. The deranged old man was history! If only he would get away from Alyx. Hikaru really, _really_ didn't want to hit her. He kept flying in circles around the house and hoped that he'd be able to pull the trigger when given the chance…if he ever got one…

Alyx was scared. No, scared wasn't the word—it couldn't possibly describe the feeling she had. Terrified. Yes, that was it, terrified. She'd never been more terrified in her entire life. Every time the man mumbled to himself about peeling her skin off, or cutting off her fingers, or some other painful method of slowly killing her, she saw it happen in vivid detail. She bit her lip and swallowed. She _hated_ being so helpless. There was nothing she could do, and, while the knife was at her neck, Hikaru was just as badly off.

"_Hmmm, I'm bored,"_ the man said moving his knife, _"I know Annabelle isn't here, but there are so many intruders to kill today that I don't have time to wait any longer."_

Alyx choked. He was going to kill her! _Now?_ And in front of Hikaru? She glanced over at him one last time. A shadow passed over his face. She couldn't see his eyes. He looked like a villain out of a horror comic: murderous, ready to kill. She had to admit that she was a bit scared of him.

The pressure on her throat disappeared. She glanced back, trying to see what the man was doing. He pressed the blade to her arm. Alyx clenched her teeth and tried to resist the urge to scream as the knife bit into her arm.

_BANG!!! BANG!!! BANG!!!_

Instinctively, Alyx ducked and covered her ears. The knife sliced a deep cut into her skin as she jerked forward and the ghost of a man fell back. Hikaru dropped the gun, causing Alyx to look at him. He was in shock. His eyes darted back and forth between the gun, his hand, and the corpse in the back seat.

"Hikaru…" Alyx whispered.

He glanced at her for a moment, and then switched on the autopilot function.

"Hikaru?" she reached out at touched his hand lightly.

The boy gripped it tightly and pulled to his cheek. Alyx's eyes widened.

"I-I thought for a minute that…that he was really going to kill you," he choked, "I was so…so scared."

After that, Alyx broke. She unbuckled her seatbelt and all but threw herself onto Hikaru. He held her as she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. They didn't let go of each other until Hikaru landed the helicopter back in the front yard.

"I love you, Hikaru," Alyx whispered, so quietly he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly.

"Wh-what?" he asked, lifting her chin so he could see her eyes. "What did you just say?" Alyx took a shuddery breath.

"I-I l-love you," she said, more loudly this time. "I don't know how long I have, but I've been in denial for so long—I finally realized it when I was stuck under that desk," she sobbed, her voice rising in decibel. "All I wanted was for you to be there with me, and then just now when he—he—" her voice cracked as she took in another steadying breath, "When he tried to kill me, all I could think was that I loved you and I wouldn't even have the chance to tell you!" That was when the poor girl completely broke down again. Hikaru murmured comforting things to her, stroking her hair. Suddenly, he pulled her closer, lowering his lips to her ear.

"I love you too," he whispered.

* * *

Red and blue lights were flashing everywhere when the pair finally got out of the helicopter. Hikaru and Alyx were relieved to find their friends and siblings unharmed. Police were storming the mansion. They brought out the fresh corpse of the pilot on a gurney. Several more medical examiners came out with the other bodies of the many victims in the house. The couple leapt out of the helicopter and ran to the group of teens answering the officers' questions.

"Liza!" Alyx called, slowing down a bit, so she wouldn't knock her sister over when she hugged her.

"Alyx!" the group exclaimed, with the exception of Kyouya, who just nodded at her.

They greeted Hikaru similarly and the two were enveloped in a group hug. Everyone laughed in relief and hugged the two individually. Alyx even went out of her way to hug Kyouya.

"I'm glad you're not dead," she told him after the awkward embrace. He just nodded again, not saying anything.

Then she turned around and tackled Hikaru, hugging him tightly as they fell to the ground, laughing just because they could. The boy grinned pressed his lips to Alyx's, taking her completely by surprise. She blushed and paused trying to make sense of what was going on. After a minute, she kissed him back. Someone whistled. The two jerked apart, blushing. Alyx glared at Kaoru, pretty sure that he was the culprit.

She jumped up and shyly offered Hikaru a hand, not that it did any good. The second he was on his feet again Tamaki shoved him back down and told him off for "kissing his sister". He was adamant in making sure Hikaru knew exactly what he thought of the exchange. Alyx shook her head and went with the paramedic who wanted to clean her wound. By that time they'd brought the corpse of the creeper out and loaded him in the medical examiners' vans.

"There you go," the doctor said, "You should be fine. Just be careful not to use or bump the arm too much."

Alyx nodded and returned to her friends.

"So," Tamaki said, "what do you say we go home and forget this ever happened?"

"I'm pretty sure that's going to be completely impossible, Dono," Hikaru said. Alyx said nothing, just buried her head into Hikaru's chest.

"WELL IT'S HARDLY MY FAULT, IT WAS _YOUR _IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE!" Tamaki spazzed, and continued spazzing. Hikaru and Kaoru were arguing back at him. She sighed, shaking her head. _They won't ever change_.

* * *

As they were driving away, Alyx felt eyes on her. She glanced back at the mansion to see an eight-year-old girl standing at the front door. Her curly hair fell to the middle of her back and her large eyes looked sad. She seemed pale, almost translucent. The girl was holding a small, caramel-colored teddy bear with a sky blue bow and a silver bell. Alyx gasped as both girl and bear disappeared…

* * *

"Ne, Alyx," Hikaru murmured sleepily, "What's the matter?"

"N-nothing," she lied.

The brunette flushed as her boyfriend lay his head on her lap. She blatantly ignored his questions, focusing instead on the fact that he still had no regards for the fact that she liked her personal space. Hikaru pouted and poked her arm.

"Hey, I was talking to you!" he informed her.

"Hey, I was ignoring you!" she shot back.

Hikaru laughed and snuggled his face into her soft stomach.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alyx snapped, blushing even more.

"Getting comfortable," he murmured, starting to fall asleep again.

"I hate you," Alyx grumbled, but made no move to shove him off.

She was slowly getting used to him being, well, Hikaru. Though the constant cuddling got on her nerves a bit, but she had to admit that she enjoyed being with him. She didn't have to lie to herself all the time. Alyx sighed and began running her fingers through his silky hair. After all, no one was watching, so it didn't really matter what she did.

"So what were you thinking about?" Hikaru asked, still trying to make her talk.

"I was just thinking about that stupid Halloween expedition you made us go on a few months ago…" she trailed off when she saw him flinch.

"I'm really sorry about that," Hikaru said for possibly the thousandth time.

"I was just gonna say that you're fired and that I'm going to pick what we do next year," Alyx laughed.

Hikaru chuckled and sat up. His face was just a few inches away from Alyx's. He grinned as her face lit up.

"Hey, one good thing came out of it," he said softly.

"Yeah?" Alyx asked, "What?"

"I got you," he whispered.

"That was one of the cheesiest things you've ever said," Alyx laughed, "but you have a point. I'm glad to know that _something _came out of us being chased around by a psycho killer, getting stuck in a room with a corpses and me almost getting killed!" she joked, though deep inside the fear stirred again within her.

Hikaru laughed too, and then closed the space between them. Their lips touched and Alyx didn't hesitate to kiss him back. After all, there was no one else there. It was just her and Hikaru. The two of them were alone beneath the slowly setting sun. And with him, she knew that nothing could harm her again.

* * *

Kura: Wow, that ending was a lot mushier than I expected, but it makes up for the fact that I nearly killed Alyx. At least I hope it does. I'm happy I got it almost exactly ten pages even! Anyway, that's the end of it. Hoped ya'll liked it. Especially you birthday girl! I worked hard on it so I hope it didn't suck too much. Kurayami out!

MrsPattinsonDiggoryCullen: You realize this is the BEST birthday gift you could've EVER given me?? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! Though, remembering to give me new chapters before they go up once in awhile would be a wonderful present, too. And that thing that you and Hana refuse to tell me about, except that I'll love it…sorry, I'll shut up now.  But thank you so much!!


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